Spine surgery program - Fortis Hospital Medical Tourism Initiative

Spine surgery abroad is mostly seeked in patients who are unable to bear the expensive costs of the procedure in the home country. Spine surgery if offered in various hospitals in India and Fortis hospitam in Mohali is one of the most advanced hospital that offers spine surgery at affordable costs bust at same level of care and technology as compared to the home country. One important thing is that doctors in fortis hospital are more experienced as compared to other hospitals in developed nations.

Here is one very interesting package brochure by fortis hospital Mohali
Common symptoms in spine diseases:

• Neck pain radiating to upper limbs and back pain radiating to lower limbs.
• Difficulty in walking, not able to walk more than few steps.
• Tingling sensation in hands or feet.
• Numbness and stiffness of limbs.

The Neurosurgeon will have to assess neurologically to decide which patient needs spine surgery and how important the surgery is to prevent future complications. Generally speaking, around 805 of the patients with spine problems can be managed on medicines and physiotherapy after clinical examination and investigation.

The following surgical processes related with Spine are available at Fortis:

1. LUMBAR MICRODISCETOMY- for lumbar disc prolapsed: A small incision is given in back. A small fenestration (hole) is made in vertebra to remove the damaged disc. The patient can walk a day after the surgery and is discharged on the second day.

2. Cervical discectomy/ Cervical Disc Rplacement – for cervical disc prolapsed.

3. Spinal fusion surgery- for spine fractures.

4. Spondylolisthesis surgery- for degenerative/congenital lumbar spondylo-listhesis – posterior
lumbar interbody fusion and pedicle screw fixation is needed. The patient can walk on the second day after the surgery and can be discharged on the fourth day after the surgery.

5.Minimally Invasive Spine surgery –
-Microdiscectomy
- Percutaneous pedicle screw fixation

Benefits of minimally invasive spine surgery are:

• Faster return to normal activities
• Less post-operative pain
• Less damage to muscle and skin
• Smaller scars.

6.Verteroplasty / Kyphoplasty – Vertebrolplasty and Kyphoplasty are radiologic procedures for the treatment of the intense pain caused by vertebral compression fractures that are refractory to conventional therapies such as analgesic use, bed rest and bracing for osteoporotic vertebral fractures.

7. Spinal tumors Surgery: for various intradural/extradural spinal tumors.
Intradural Tumors – done by laminectomy and removal of tumor.
Extradural tumors – done by laminectomy and tumor decompression.

We will ensure you get the best care:
Your choice to go for spine surgery is a decision that should greatly improve the quality of your life!

We will help you to make every day of your life more enjoyable and productive by reducing your pain and by improving the level of your independence.

Our goal is to give you improved levels of mobility and ensure that your safely return home after a short hospital stay, usually two to three days. Your cooperation in following our instructions would help you get the maximum benefit from your spine surgery.

These guidelines will help you prepare well for your spine surgery:

Before Surgery: We would like you to attend our Spine Clinic at least one or two weeks prior to your surgery. This will familiarize you with our Spine Surgery Program as well as will answer all your queries. It will also prepare you for your recovery needs. Pre-surgical testing will also be done in this visit.

YOUR ROLE IN RECOVERY: You are not “ill” like many hospitalized patients. Rather, you will be recovering from a surgery that you have chosen to improve your quality of life. Keeping that in view, you play the most important role in your recovery and will have a lot of responsibility in making sure your surgery is a success.

You will make progress every day, but your will also have some ups and downs and rehabilitation may seem difficult initially. Do not get discouraged. Keep a positive attitude and remember that your pain will be reducing with the passage of each day. He more physically active you are, the faster your pain will recede and the better you will be able to get around. We recommend you to increase your activity daily. Walking will accelerate the return of your body functions to normal.

AFTER SURGERY :

• You may need to wear a lumbar belt or collar post-operative to promote a safe recovery.
• Normal diet is started in the evening on the same day. A soft diet may be necessary for cervical fusion patients.
• Cervical fusion patients may experience a temporary sore throat and trouble swallowing due to swelling.
• If your vital signs are stable and your pain is bearable, the nursing staff will help you in sitting up in a chair on the same day after the surgery.
• A slight fever is normal. It is the body’s reaction to the surgery.

PAIN MANAGEMENT
Post surgical pain is inevitable. Pain medication cannot eliminate pain completely, but our goal is to manage your pain with the help of special anesthetics, scheduled or additional medication (we call breakthrough pain medications), ice and movement.

PHYSIOTHERAPY/ACTIVITY IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS OF THE SURGERY.

After your surgery, you may feel like staying in bed. You should try sitting up and your nursing staff will help as and when the need arises.

Physical therapy will begin from the following day after the surgery. The nursing staff and physiotherapist will held you to get out of bed before physical therapy and also later in the day. We recommend you to be up and about at least three times a day. Patients, who are bed-confined, lose strength and motion quickly. They are also susceptible to several complications like pneumonia, blood clots and skin breakdown. Getting up and moving in the hospital corridor is the best thing you can do to recover from your surgery.

RECOVERY AT HOME:

• Incisions heal quickly. They usually do not need to be covered.
• Keep them clean and dry.
• You may shower. If the incisions get wet, simply pat them dry.
• Walk at least four times a day. As you begin to feel stable, increase the frequency and distance of your walks. Change your position (sitting, walking, lying down) every hour while you’re awake.
• Sit on chairs with armrests.

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Will be able to climb stairs after surgery?

Yes, you can climb stairs (upstairs as well as downstairs). We will make sure you are able to do so before you are discharged.

Will I need held at Home?

You should be able to walk and take care of your personal needs. Do not bend down or lift heavy weights.

Will I need home Care?

Most patients do not need a nurse after the discharge. If you go directly home as planned, you will require physiotherapy for a few weeks.

Will I be able to have a bath?
You may shower within two days post surgery, but tub baths are not recommended. Once you are back home, bathing will decrease the chances of infection.

When will I be able to go back to work?
We recommend that most people take at least two weeks off from work. Whatever be the nature of your work, you will need to be up and taking short walks frequently.

How long will it take for me to recover after surgery?
Recovery happens very quickly after the surgery, but some stiffness and numbness may persist for months.